


The Scroll

by slash4femme



Series: Seasons of Mercy [2]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Angst, Backstory, Fluff, Gen, Past Abuse, Post-Canon, Sibling Bonding, Verbal Abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-21
Updated: 2017-05-21
Packaged: 2018-11-03 08:49:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,167
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10963797
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/slash4femme/pseuds/slash4femme
Summary: There was a scroll hanging on the wall in the Kazekage's office





	The Scroll

**Author's Note:**

> Warning: for Temari, Kankuro, and Gaara's father being the abusive asshole he obviously was. 
> 
> This is a side story set in my Seasons of Mercy universe. Because of that Gaara/Lee is implied but not in anyway shown as part of the story. I thought this up while writing Season of Mercy but it didn't quite fit into the main story so I decided to write it as its own thing.

I.

"I hate that thing, always have."

Gaara followed Kankuro's slightly wavering finger to the scroll hanging on the far wall of the Kazekage's office. His office now. It was old, hand calligraphed laying out the history of the Kazekage's bloodline. Judging by fading it had been hanging there for a very long time.  

It was late, too late for them to be here really. But Gaara had decided to do a little paperwork since sleep wasn't something he could do much of and the nights could be long and boring alone in the Kazekage's private residence.

Kankuro had found him here reading through reports while his bodyguards stood watch outside in the hall.

Kankuro was not on duty tonight, out of face paint and uniform, barefoot, his hair a tousled mess. He'd been carrying a bottle of sake and two cups when he pushed Gaara's office door open.

"Can't sleep either." He'd said as explanation, folding himself down onto the couch Gaara kept in the corner for when he wanted to rest but didn't want to bother going back to the Residence.

Gaara watched him for a moment, then walked over to join him on the couch.

He didn't drink the sake though, he did not much care for alcohol.

Kankuro on the other hand at obviously started drinking back in his quarters and seemed determined to finish off the bottle.

"Why do you hate the scroll?" Gaara asked.

Kankuro grunted and took another sip of sake. "Father used to make us look at it when he was wanted to chew out Temari and me over something. He'd pace back and forth behind us where we couldn't see him and tell us what failures and disappointments we were. He'd go on and on about all the people who died to make Suna great and how we were letting down the bloodline. How all his children were worthless to him. Suna would come to nothing and it would all be our fault. That this shitty scroll was worth more to Suna than we were." Kankuro downed the rest of his sake in one swallow. "I remember Temari used to cry, if you can believe it, before she learned not to. Hell, I cried especially the first time, I mean I was about five when it started. I don't even remember what I did."   

He looked away for a moment and then back at Gaara.

"I guess he never did that to you."

"No." Gaara said staring at the scroll as well. He didn't think he'd ever even been in this office prior to the previous Kazekage's death.  

Kankuro reached for the bottle of sake. "They used to tell us that you were his favorite you know. That he loved you more than he loved us. For a while I believed it too, we both did. I remember my bodyguards telling me that it proved you were a monster, the way you took all that love and only give back death. That's when I knew Father would ask me to kill you one day. He was grooming me for it."

He downed another cup.

Gaara didn't want to ask, truly, but the words came unbidden anyway. "Did he?"

"Yeah. He told me if I killed you he'd make me his heir but if I didn't you'd kill Temari and me for sure." Kankuro was staring at the scroll now too but Gaara knew he wasn't really seeing it.  

"And what did you say?"

Kankuro was silent for so long Gaara didn't think he was going to answer. Not that he needed to. Gaara knew already and he didn't blame Kankuro for it at all.

Finally, Kankuro drew in a long breath and turned away from the scroll eyes fixing on Gaara. "Told him you and Temari were the only family I had so I'd take my chances with you, thanks."

Gaara stared at him eyes wide without a single idea of what to say.

"I ... " He clears his throat. "When was this?"

"Right before we left for Konoha and the Chunin Exams." Kankuro said. "Then Orochimaru stuck a sword through him, which was a good thing in hindsight, saved Temari and me from having to do it."

He thrust a cup of sake into Gaara's hand. "Ugh, drink this for me, would you? If I have any more I'm gonna pass out."

Gaara stared into the cup of sake as Kankuro flopped back against the arm of the couch, legs draped off the edge, muttering to himself.

 _No,_ He thought, _if_   _it had come to that I would have done it. If only to spare you and Temari._

 

II.

"Why is there a potted plant in the hall?"

Gaara looked up at Temari standing, hands on hips in the doorway.

"It's for in here." He said going back to his paperwork.

"Well I hope you're not planning on rehousing your entire cactus collection in here. People are nervous enough about spending time in the Kazekage's office as it is."

"Yes, I know, that's one of the reasons for the plant." Gaara flipped through the rest of the stage of papers. "Which reminds me, that scroll on the far wall, remove it for me."

Temari turned and stared at it.

"It's ancient. A priceless relic from the time of the first Kazekage."

"Yes." Gaara said patiently. 

"Father used to say it was one of the most important pieces in the entire building." 

"I know. I want it removed."

She reached up and unhooked it from the wall, then rolled it up. Gaara didn't miss the way her hands fisted around it once with the same death grip she'd use to hold a battle fan.

"What do you want me to do with it?"

Gaara met her gaze. "You can do whatever you want with it. Burn it. I don't care."

She stared at him for a long moment and then nodded once and carried it out.

He never asked her what she did do with it and she never said.

For years the wall across from his desk remained bare, but that suited Gaara just fine.

 

III.

Kankuro was through the door and halfway to Gaara desk when he froze mid-stride.

He also stopped talking mid-sentence, which was what caught Gaara's attention and made him look up.

Kankuro was staring at the framed picture on the wall like he'd never seen one before. His hands were clenched at his sides, body taught as if preparing for battle.

The picture was a brightly colored drawing, done in a child's shaky hand. A garden of cactuses underneath the bright desert sun.

Gaara folded his hands on top of his desk and waited.

It felt like an age before Kankuro finally spoke. "Who draw this? Metal, Shinki?"

"Shinki." Gaara let himself smile and turned back to his paperwork.

Kankuro cleared his throat, although he still sounded a little bit hoarse when he said. "I like it."

"Yes." Gaara said. "So do I."

 


End file.
